ALG CLOSED Again For Another Week

Athens Locally Grown will be closed one more week.

It’s been rather difficult finding a place that can host us during the pandemic. Our need for space, for our growers, our organizing, and you, has never been greater. The ideal places that would work for us, that were sitting unused just a few weeks ago, are mostly opening back up again. Or, they’re not wanting to have a bunch of people come through (and that’s totally understandable).

I’m watching the covid infection rates rise in the state once again, and I’m just not ready to cram us all back into the bike shop. It’s just not the right time.

I have found a place, though, with the minimum we need, but it’s not available to us until next week. It would be temporary, but it would get us through the summer while we either find a more permanent home (or are able to return to Ben’s Bikes). It’s across the street from the airport on Winterville Rd in an area of artists studios. There is a car loop right in front that could handle you all, and space where we can set up and keep all our shelves we use to organize all the grocery bags. I’ve always thought of the airport as pretty far out, but the new Olympic Drive exits off the loop put it only two minutes away from there.

What do you think? If this move would absolutely keep you from ordering from our growers, please let me know. I am still pursuing other leads (and thank all of you who continue to feed those to me) and this would be temporary for part of the summer, but I do want to know if it’s too much of a change for you.

Another place that has a lot of potential, but isn’t available until July, is the property on Tallassee Drive that has hosted the Double Helix STEAM school. It’s even closer to the loop, just past the Whitehead Rd roundabout. There’s easy access down Whitehead Rd, too, so the Tallassee bridge construction won’t be a pain. Not only would we be able to have pickups there, but it also has a commercial kitchen, space to hold classes and workshops, a walk-in cooler our growers could use, and other amenities that could make what we do on Thursday just be one part of a bigger picture.

I’d love to know your thoughts about that, too. Now is a perfect time to reinvent ourselves and build something even better than before. I wish we didn’t have to take a couple weeks off while we worked things through, but I try as I might I couldn’t avoid that.

In the meantime, please support our growers at the other markets that are now back up and running, or at their own locations. The Comedian takes online orders for Saturday pickup at the bakery here: https://www.thecomerian.com/online-ordering. Dawson Farms has been contacting their regular milk customers to offer alternative pickups. The Athens Farmers Market is holding their Saturday market once again in Bishop Park. It’s not anything like it was before, so you’ll want to read up on all the changes on their website, http://athensfarmersmarket.net. The West Broad Farmers Market is back too, holding a drive through market just like us (and using my software too, so it’ll be nice and familiar). You can join them at https://wbfm.locallygrown.net. And of course Collective Harvest is going strong over at https://www.collectiveharvestathens.com.

I promise we’ll be back as soon as we possibly can, and odds are very good that will be next week.